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    SWACO Expands Drop-Off Recycling Program with Two Additional Locations

    Did you know that every year, Franklin County residents and businesses send over a million tons of material to the Franklin County Landfill? Even more surprising – nearly 76% of all material in the landfill could have been recycled or composted. 

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    40% of Franklin County’s waste stream is generated by residents, families and other households, yet less than half of the items these households could recycle are captured. The most frequently tossed-out items include food, cardboard, magazines and newspapers, all of which could be diverted from the landfill. 

    In order to capture more of these materials, SWACO offers 50 convenient drop-off recycling sites around Franklin County. These sites are available free-of-charge for use by residents who need additional recycling capacity, residents who live in apartments or condos and businesses without recycling. We also recently added two additional drop-off locations to better serve you.

    • PAST Foundation located at 1003 Kinnear Rd., Columbus, OH 43212
    • Jerry L. Garver YMCA located at 6767 Refugee Rd., Canal Winchester, OH 43110
    Recycling bins at the Jerry L. Garver YMCA – Photo provided by SWACO

    It’s not enough to simply recycle – it’s just as important to recycle right. The SWACO drop-off sites only accept plastic bottles, tubs and jugs; metal cans; carton containers; glass bottles and jars; paper and cardboard. Remember to break down and flatten cardboard boxes and keep recyclables loose (don’t place them in plastic bags!). 

    And, remember that leaving anything on the ground outside of these locations is considered illegal and will be investigated by the Environmental Crimes Taskforce. SWACO works diligently with local businesses who graciously host these sites for the community’s use. As such, it’s important they’re used correctly and not abused so that we can continue to offer this program as a community service.

    If you see illegal dumping taking place at one of these locations or in your community, you can report it anonymously 24 hours a day, seven days a week at itsacrime.org or 614-871-5322. 

    SWACO is also recruiting new locations for the program and would invite the public to help us find potential sites for new drop-off containers. We’re specifically interested in locations near Tuttle Mall and the cities of Gahanna, Reynoldsburg and Obetz where service is currently lite. 

    In order to be considered, a site must be well-lit, provide a large parking area and offer ample ingress and egress to ensure cars aren’t blocking the flow of traffic. If you have a site recommendation, please forward those to [email protected]

    Thank you for your help to make everyday Earth Day by recycling right. Find a drop-off location near you, and visit RecycleRight.org for more information about recycling in our community.

    Recycle Right is brought to you by SWACO, Franklin County’s resource for solid waste diversion and disposal. SWACO is working with schools, universities, non-profits, and elected, community and business leaders in Central Ohio to reduce waste and improve recycling and composting. Franklin County’s rate of diversion – 50% exceeds the national average, yet nearly a million tons of material is still landfilled by residents and businesses each year. By working together we can make a difference for our environment, economy and community. Find out how you can get involved in the effort to reduce waste, recycle right and save more than food at swaco.org.

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    Hanna Greer-Brown
    Hanna Greer-Brown
    Hanna Greer-Brown is the communications manager at SWACO. She has helped to implement a number of award-winning recycling education campaigns in central Ohio including Bring Me Back and Recycle Right which are focused on helping residents reduce their waste, and increase their recycling and reuse.
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